NGO director issued arrest warrant by Hamas

Feb. 26, 2012 8:29 P.M. (Updated: Feb. 28, 2012 10:21 P.M.)

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- The director of a Gaza-based human rights organization said Sunday that he received an arrest warrant from the Hamas government, after he criticized the state-run energy authority.

Al-Dameer director Khalil Abu Shamala, who is also a member of the public freedoms committee, said the arrest warrant included accusations from the Hamas-run energy authority that he had blamed them for the current energy crisis in Gaza.

It also said that he had created a rift amongst citizens, as well as threatening the security of the authority.

Gaza depends heavily on fuel smuggled in from Egypt to keep its lone power station on line. But as supplies were severely reduced from Egypt, the station was shut down on Feb. 14, and Gaza had faced blackouts of up to 18 hours per day.

A Gaza energy official told Ma'an on Saturday that the Gaza Strip has not received enough fuel to resume normal electricity levels, despite the fact that the Gaza government said it had reached a deal with Egyptian authorities on Thursday to end the crisis.